The Responsible Gaming Foundation is aware of the benefits the gaming industry has to Maltese economy. The issuing of licenses in the first six months of 2014 increased by a quarter while the number of registered companies increased by 17%. Still, it is important not to neglect the adverse effect this can have on participants, including physical and mental health as well as financial considerations.

In the words of Hon. Silvio Schembri, Foundation chairman, “At EU level, it is estimated that between 0.5% to 2% of those who make use of gaming services end up with some sort of addiction. However, we also believe that these figures may not reflect the true picture due to lack of research.”

The foundation chairman went on to elaborate that more Malta-based research is needed in order to provide an in-depth analysis of current advertising methods.

Hon. Jose Herrera, once again, reiterated his appreciation of the cooperation that exists between government and opposition. He said, that the government wanted the gaming industry to continue flourishing while paying attention to the social repercussions.